A White Castle being picketed by integration demonstrators in 1963. (Getty Images)

A White Castle being picketed by integration demonstrators in 1963. (Getty Images)

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White Castle restaurants. (from @OddOilfieldWife on Twitter)

White Castle restaurants. (from @OddOilfieldWife on Twitter)

Photo: Win McNamee, Getty Images

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Gov. Dan Malloy leaves White Castle in the Bronx after lunch on his way to back to Hartford from Ground Zero in New York City on May 5, 2011. White Castle was a favorite stop for Malloy when he was returning from Rugby matches at Randalls Island. less

Gov. Dan Malloy leaves White Castle in the Bronx after lunch on his way to back to Hartford from Ground Zero in New York City on May 5, 2011. White Castle was a favorite stop for Malloy when he was returning ... more

Photo: Kathleen O'Rourke

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Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle is a totally epic odyssey of stoners in search of snacks. It’s a perhaps a new twist on the American road trip mythology. Even though the heroes get lost in New Jersey, more sober viewers definitely got a glimpse of America in this 2004 film. less

Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle is a totally epic odyssey of stoners in search of snacks. It’s a perhaps a new twist on the American road trip mythology. Even though the heroes get lost in New Jersey, ... more

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John Cho, left, and Kal Penn chase a guilty pleasure in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle.

John Cho, left, and Kal Penn chase a guilty pleasure in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle.

Photo: SOPHIE GIRAUD, KRT

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White Castle slider called 'most influential'

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Time magazine says White Castle's small, square "sliders" are "the most influential burger of all time."

The magazine notes the "now-iconic square patty" that debuted in 1921 in Wichita, Kan. was the first burger to spawn a fast-food empire. White Castle has been based in Columbus since 1934.

The Time story — http://ti.me/1eWFs19 — puts the White Castle burger at the top of the list of the 17 most influential burgers of all time, beating out burgers from McDonald's and In-N-Out.

White Castle vice president Jamie Richardson tells The Columbus Dispatch that "slider" has been a term of endearment for the delectable little burgers since the 1950s.